The cross was always Plan A. What they meant for humiliation, was humility. What they meant for murder, was my willingness to lay down my own life. What they meant for an end, was just the beginning. What was meant to be a crown of thorns, was a crown of victory.

The sin that once stained your innocence, That held you in captivity, That eternally separated you from Me, Now stands powerless.

I laid down my own life, that you would find yours. That you wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for your sin. That as enemies of God, you could be reconciled. That you could experience what I’ve predestined since the beginning of time.

The cross wasn’t a surprise. It wasn’t an obstacle. It wasn’t the end. It was Plan A. A plan that was fulfilled the moment I conquered death. The moment I displayed my eternal reign, power, and authority over everything.

My victory became an invitation. A proposal. To experience an eternal love that surpasses all knowledge and understanding. A love that willingly left the perfection of Heaven to embrace a tortuous persecution. A love that reigns victorious.

But there are others.

Countless, who are lost. Who don’t know me. Who haven’t experienced me. Who are without knowledge of this love.

I am sending you out. To rescue them.

You will be sheep among wolves. Among a world that despises you because of Me. A world that cannot reckon with the gravity of their sin, because their hearts are deceived by the Enemy. A world that hates the Truth that I taught, That I am, And that you now represent.

They will hate you. They will persecute you. They will try to deceive you. They may even kill you.

But, I’m sending you out, With myself.

I will be your Shepherd. I will be your King. I will be your Guide, your Protector, your Peace, your Power. I will be with you. And in you.

You wear the Victor’s crown.

A crown that existed before the beginning of time. A crown that embodies honor and glory. A crown that represents beauty in persecution. A crown that displays the triumphant defeat of the Enemy.

You wear the Victor’s crown. You wear the crown that I myself wear. For in me, you are a victor.